Trust Across America-Trust Around the World™

In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher-  Dalai Lama

October is Tolerance Month 

according to Trust Across America’s

2014 Calendar

A trusted leader is open to new ideas that may not align with his own. Tolerance empowers stakeholders with ownership and leads to higher engagement at all levels.

During the  52 weeks of 2014 you can build trust in your organization by thinking about, discussing and following the advice of the experts. Below are weekly reflections on trust for October 2014.

• Week 1: Leaders committed to candor will create and build trust. LJ Rittenhouse, Rittenhouse Rankings

• Week 2: Trust produces trustworthy behavior, not the other way around. Carol Sanford, Author

• Week 3: Managers gain employees’ trust by discerning and distrusting impostors, bootlickers, and liars.Dr. Reuven Shapira, Western Galilee Academic College, Israel.

• Week 4: Higher performing organizations depend on the ability to predict the behavior of others accurately, requiring deep trust. David A. Shore, Harvard University.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

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Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else. Sam Walton

The email I had been waiting for arrived earlier this week, not from Home Depot, but from my credit card company. Without referencing the specific data breach, it simply stated that a new card was being sent to me. I’m still waiting for a similar note or letter from Home Depot.

Does the company care about maintaining trust with it’s customers?  Apparently not so much.

This was the “stock” statement released by the CEO:

“We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and anxiety this has caused, and want to reassure them that they will not be liable for fraudulent charges,” said Frank Blake, Home Depot’s chairman and CEO.

I wrote about the home improvement industry in a blog post in July called Sorry Our Policy Doesn’t Permit It. At the time, it was unclear why the customer seemed to come last on their stakeholder value chain. But a few days ago, this article appeared on CNN Money and the answer became a bit clearer.

Why Home Depot is Not the Next Target

Apparently, if the stock price doesn’t suffer too much, all is well.

And in case you missed this article, there is even a suspicion that the breach may have been an “inside job.”

As in most similar crises, the company has now announced that they will enhance their security. And so the beat goes on….

I will get my new card and work through the maze and hassle of changing the information with companies on “autopay.”  That will only take me a few hours. But then I’m only a customer, not a stockholder, so my time has little value and the heck with trust.

The important takeaway should be obvious. Even in quasi monopolistic industries, customers always have a choice to spend their money somewhere else. What choice will you make?

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

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Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.” 
― Friedrich Nietzsche

Today’s blog topic jumped right out of the headlines from the past 24 hours:

Football Must Regain the Public’s Trust

Trust Vital Between Officers & The Community

State Audit of Fayette Schools Shows Need to Restore Public Trust

Restore Public Trust

These headlines rarely change. Everyday we hear about the need to restore trust in education, communities, sports, business and government. The story is the same, only the names of the violators change. I can’t think of a single headline that ever read something like this ” We are Embracing Trust as a Business Imperative and Building it Into Our Foundation.”

There is enormous societal confusion swirling around the term “trust” that stems from this “restoration” approach. It is based on the assumption that trust was present before the crisis. In almost every case it wasn’t. Building a foundation of trust is a proactive decision made by the leaders of an organization, and it is built in incremental steps. In every one of the headlines above, I will venture to guess that trust was never a component of the leadership agenda, nor its Board of Directors.

Unfortunately, trust is taken for granted. It is assumed that it just “exists” when, in reality, it rarely does. Some leaders might argue, “Why bother? Maybe we’ll get lucky and never face a crisis.” I would respond that it’s much less expensive to build a foundation of trust, than it is to “manage” a crisis and attempt to build trust after the crisis. Building a foundation of trust also brings tangible and intangible benefits. These are just a few:

• Improved collaboration driving decision-making speed, efficiency and innovation
• Greater personal effectiveness for all involved, improving team projects and the odds of their coming to fruition
• Increased employee responsibility and competence
• Improved morale
• Faster/more efficient new business development
• Win/win opportunities both internally and externally

These are some pretty good reasons for building a foundation of trust. Don’t you agree? And remember, you CANNOT regain or restore something that never existed.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

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Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

Are you a trustworthy captain steering a trustworthy ship?

That’s the question we have been asking for the past few months via an online survey that we are calling the Leader’s Project. It’s purpose is to bring focus and context to what is meant by trustworthy leadership and the resulting organizational trust.

These are some tough questions, but we guarantee that just reading them will provide plenty of food for thought and perhaps a new path forward for all leaders who understand the importance of placing trust at the top of the agenda.

If you are brave enough to tell your story, we want to hear it. In fact, one CEO who has taken the test will be featured in the first edition of TRUST! The Magazine scheduled for publication in October.

Visit the link for the full questionnaire. This is a sampling of the questions it contains.

• SUCCESS: What role does trust play in ensuring the success of your organization?
• COSTS: What are the costs/implications of not having a high level of trust in your organization? (200 words max)
• COLLABORATION: How do you transform a siloed, reactive, heroic leadership culture to one that is trust-based, team-focused, and collaborative? (200 words max)
• CULTURE: What values, principles or beliefs does your organization follow that are essential to building a foundation of trust? (200 words max)
• LEADERSHIP: Which do you consider your “Best Practice” in trustworthy business behavior– the strategy that separates you from your competitors? (200 words max)

At a minimum, spend just a few minutes thinking about the questions above, or complete our full survey and share your best practices so others can learn from them.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

                                                                                                  Coming Soon!

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

Today’s blog post is somewhat of a rant, but it contains a trust message. It’s about a call I received yesterday.

The conversation went something like this:

Him: Hi, it’s your buddy John Smith conference organizer. Trust Across America-Trust Around the World was kind enough to offer us a panel discussion of trust experts for our upcoming conference, but we decided to pass.

(Side Note: Several months ago this same group declined our panel of experts, but DID choose to use our idea and assemble their own panel on the topic of “trust.” The brochure description has little to do with the subject of trust itself, nor are any of the panelists experts, but hey,”trust” is a cool buzzword.)

Back to the conversation:

Him: Anyway, I have an even better offer for you. I would like you to come speak. Our speakers usually pay $10,000, but you can speak for $2500. We’ll even throw in free admission to the conference, and a dinner. And you can bring some books to sell.

Me: Huh? You want me to pay you for the “privilege” of  speaking at your event? I won’t pay to speak.

Him: Okay thanks, and take care.

Tell me you can’t pay me but don’t ask me to pay you. It’s not only insulting but speaks volumes about the “quality” of your conference. If I were an attendee, I would want to know, in advance of registering, how many of your speakers were paying to peddle their wares.

If you are a conference organizer and this is your business model, you are shooting yourself in the foot, from a quality perspective, and I’m about to tell you why.

Earlier this week I was asked to speak (without having to write out a check) at another conference next summer. I respectfully declined because I did not think I was the right person for this engagement, but offered up the names of several folks who are members of our Alliance, and who have the expertise to do an outstanding job. But first I checked in with these people to make sure they were available. Most of them wanted more information about the “quality” of the conference and the conference host. They have learned from past experience. They won’t compromise their integrity, nor will they agree to speak without a quality assurance. They certainly won’t pay.

This practice is becoming the industry “norm,” at many conferences.  Remember the expression about “getting what you pay for?” The conference organizer may be maximizing short-term profits, but they are failing to build the “right” long-term relationships. It’s what I call a long-term “lose/lose” and it certainly compromises the quality of the conference, and the reputation of the organization itself.

Too me, this business model is a trust-buster.

Enough said. What do you think?

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

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Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

Recently, a friend relayed a story about a colleague who is ALWAYS 10 minutes late for meetings. She said she “trusts” this person to always show up late. We laughed about the (mis)use of the word “trust” and moved on.

But what my friend is actually doing is forgiving her colleague for her lack of accountability by ignoring her tardiness. I’ll bet nobody has ever spoken to this person about arriving on time.

Accountability is a large component of trust, but one of the least discussed.

So how do you build accountability into your organization?

Be the Role Model: Leaders can’t demand accountability without first modeling it. Deliver on your expectations and do what you say you will do. Then, set up the following action plan to instill its importance in your team:

• Role identification: Team members need to understand their roles.
• Expectations & Goals: Identify them in a way that the team understands and accepts.
• Don’t Be a Dictator: Work the accountability plan together. Get the early “buy-in.”
• Discuss it: Place the plan on the agenda for discussion, and make modifications, with the team, when needed.
• No Excuses: Once the accountability plan is in place, enforce it as the leader and encourage it between team members.  No excuses for:

1. Missing deadlines
2. Tardiness
3. Too many mistakes
4. Low quality output
5. Showing up late to the meeting.

The outcome of an accountability plan is trust. It’s a win/win!

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

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Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

The Rutger’s University President has issued an apology to the Penn State President for offensive actions of Rutger’s fans at a recent football game.

Did he do the right thing? Was he extending trust?  Was this an act of integrity and ethics?

I’m on the fence on this one.

But this I know. Build trust and avoid crises and scandals (or at least minimize their impact).

Fail to proactively build trust, and the fallout from a scandal will continue for years.

What do you think? Please leave a comment.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

                                                                                                  Coming Soon!

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

What do we mean when we say “Trust is a Lifestyle?”

• Trust is not a mathematical equation or formula
• It is not a memo to be circulated at a meeting
• It is not negotiated via a contract or a regulation
• It cannot be delegated
• It is not something to be “built” in the wake of a crisis
• It is not “the buzzword of the day.”

When we hear the word “trust” we should envision a way of being, a lifestyle that includes:

• Acting with integrity at all times, no exceptions
• Respecting others
• Making ethical decisions
• Shaking the hand of a partner in business or in your personal life, looking them in the eye, and telling them that you are extending trust.

Build a lifestyle of trust, beginning with self-trust, and extend trust to those around you. It will be reciprocated.  You will experience a higher quality of life, as will those who learned from your example.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

                                                                                                  Coming Soon!

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Michelle Clarke in the UK. Michelle is the organizer of the Global Trust Conference, which completed its second annual event just yesterday. I was lucky enough to virtually attend the conference, and to catch Stephen M.R. Covey delivering a great speech, packed with insight and advice. Stephen wrote the cover quote for our award-winning book TRUST Inc. and also contributed an essay.

I took notes and am happy to provide some highlights in today’s blog post.

What are the three most important facts about trust?

• Trust is an economic driver
• Trust is the #1 competency of leadership
• Trust is a learnable competency.

Think about a person you work with who you trust and consider the positive outcomes of that relationship.

Now think about a person you work with who you don’t trust and the lost opportunities as a result.

Trust=Confidence while Distrust=Suspicion

Confidence requires both character and competence.

Trust is Reciprocal

When you give trust, you receive it in return.

Trust is Not about Coordination

Trust is about collaboration, partnering and teamwork.

Energy and Joy

When trust goes down, energy and joy do too.

Four Cornerstones of Credibility

• Integrity (character)
• Intent (motive/agenda)
• Capability (are you relevant?)
• Results (your past and current performance)

Talk Straight

Candor is the language of trust. Never use spin.

Leaders Extend Trust

• The first job of a leader is to INSPIRE TRUST
• The second job of a leader is to EXTEND TRUST

And finally…. the starting place for trust is self-trust.

Thank you Michelle and Stephen. As I like to say, “It will take a tribe to push the trust boulder up the hill, but together we can.”

Would you like to help Stephen, Michelle and me in pushing that BIG boulder? Join our Alliance of Trustworthy Business Experts today.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

                                                                                                  Coming Soon!

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.

In business, it’s easy to just show up.

• Show up at a lunch
• Show up at a conference
• Show up at a meeting
• Show up at a webinar
• Pay your annual dues

And then leave….

The outcome of showing up is usually little ventured, and probably little gained. And then we move on to the next lunch, conference, meeting or webinar.

It’s much more difficult to be involved in the planning.

Because involvement in the planning requires a commitment:

• Of time
• Of thought
• Of teamwork

But it’s the participation in the planning stage that builds the trust. In planning, we engage with others who are working towards a common goal…. a positive outcome. And this is how trust is built. And trustworthy relationships lead to new business. They also take time to develop.

It’s your choice. Maintain your independence, show up and then leave. Get involved in the planning and build trust. Make the investment and the payoff may surprise you.

Barbara Brooks Kimmel is the Executive Director of Trust Across America-Trust Around the World whose mission is to help organizations build trust. She is also the editor of the award winning TRUST INC. book series. In 2012 Barbara was named “One of 25 Women Changing the World” by Good Business International.

                                                                                                       Coming Soon!

Should you wish to communicate directly with Barbara, drop her a note at Barbara@trustacrossamerica.com

Copyright © 2014, Next Decade, Inc.